The Royal Commission on the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union ("The Costigan Commission") was established by the Australian government in 1980 to investigate criminal activities associated with the union. This article describes the national government of Australia. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

The commission was headed by Frank Costigan QC. The union had a militant history, and the commission was seen as politically motivated; however, its enquiries led away from union activities towards investigation of so-called "bottom of the harbour" tax evasion schemes. This involved the asset-stripping of companies to avoid tax liabilities and was facilitated by criminals among the Painters and Dockers but benefited wealthy individuals. Francis Xavier (Frank) Costigan is an Australian lawyer who is most famous for chairing the Costigan Commission into organised crime. ... Queens Counsel (postnominal QC), during the reign of a male Sovereign known as Kings Counsel (KC), are barristers or, in Scotland, advocates appointed by letters patent to be one of Her Majestys Counsel learned in the law. They do not constitute a separate order or degree of... This article contrasts tax evasion, tax avoidance, tax resistance and tax mitigation. ...

In 1984 the now defunct Fairfax newspaper The National Times published leaked extracts of the Commission's draft report which implicated a prominent Australian businessman codenamed the "Goanna" in tax evasion and organised crime, including drug trafficking, pornography, and murder. Australia's richest man, media magnate Kerry Packer revealed himself to be the subject of these allegations which he strenuously denied. Ironically it was Packer's own Bulletin magazine that had been instrumental in the calls for a Royal Commission into the union. Packer's counterattack was led by his counsel Malcolm Turnbull (later a prominent politician) and accused the Commission of a misuse of power. No charges were laid against Packer, and in 1987 Australia's Attorney-General Lionel Bowen formally dismissed the allegations. Mystery still surrounds, however, his receipt of a supposed "loan" of A$225,000 in cash from a bankrupt Queensland businessman. When questioned by the Commission, Packer testified, "I wanted it in cash because I like cash. I have a squirrel-like mentality."[1] Packer was therefore codenamed the "Squirrel" in the Commission's case studies, but the National Times changed this to preserve anonymity. 1984 (MCMLXXXIV in Roman) is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Fairfax Holdings Limited {ABN 15 008 663 161) is an Australian Public Company operating in the media industry, working predominantly with newspapers. ... Species Several, see text. ... This article contrasts tax evasion, tax avoidance, tax resistance and tax mitigation. ... Organized crime is crime carried out systematically by formal criminal organizations. ... Retail selling Street selling is the bottom of the chain and can be accomplished through purchasing from prostitutes, through cloaked retail stores or refuse houses for users in the act located in red-light districts which often also deal in paraphernalia, dealers marketing merriment at night clubs and other events... Kerry Packer Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer AC (17 December 1937 – 26 December 2005) was an Australian publishing, media and gaming tycoon. ... Front cover of the Feburary 24, 2004 edition of The Bulletin The Bulletin is a weekly magazine, which has been published in Sydney, Australia since 1880. ... Malcolm Turnbull (born 24 October 1954), Australian politician, was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in October 2004 for the Division of Wentworth, New South Wales, representing the Liberal Party. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General or Attorney-General, is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ... Lionel Frost Bowen (born 28 December 1922), Australian politician, was a senior Labor figure, serving in the ministries of Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke. ...

The Commission concluded in 1984 and the revelations of organised crime led to the establishment of the National Crime Authority. The National Crime Authority (NCA) was an Australian law enforcement agency established in 1984. ...